


monster.

by strawberryfire



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M, bc who doesnt, byler, punk!will, will is sick of mike’s shit lmao, will wants to be like billy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 17:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20213218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberryfire/pseuds/strawberryfire
Summary: i'm guessing that i've grown hornsi guess i'm human no morei can tell i've rotted in your brainoh, how easily passion twistsyou think i'm a crazy bitch—or, will get sick of mike’s shit and goes punk.





	monster.

* * *

it had been six months. billy had became a part of the group and he was very close with me. he had convinced my mom for us not to move. hopper had moved in with us too.

we were at steve’s house all watching a movie, not sure what it was and honestly i didn’t care. i felt so out of place. the others had grown up so fast. i was still stuck in middle school, i was still stuck relieving all those horrible nights over and over.

and mike. god. he had grown up the fastest. when he said he loved el, my heart shattered into a thousand pieces. and i didn’t say a word. i never said it hurt. but billy knew.

billy knew everything. and i knew everything about what happened with him. about his giant crush on steve. my giant crush on mike.

billy goes to the kitchen to get more coco and i follow.

“what’s up kid?” he asks, putting marshmallows in steve’s mug.

“too much.” i sit up on the counter. “i just have way too much on my mind y’know.”

“tell me about it.” he takes a hit of his cigarette.

“i think i’m done trying.” i say after a few minutes.

he tilts his head in confusion, “what do you mean?”

“with mike. i’m done. i’m just gonna stop…there is literally no use. it’s pointless.”

he frowns, “will, you can’t give up like that. it took me months to even be _friends_ with steve.”

“yeah but he’s different because you haven’t know steve all your life. you haven’t watched him slowly fall in love with someone else while he completely ignores you. and you know, halloween, when it all happened…he promised we would go crazy together but really the one who went crazy was me. and maybe i was just designed to be alone, it’s my fate.”

“will byers, you’re literally 15.”

“and your point?”

billy sighs and puts his cig on an ash tray, “you have your whole life to figure this out.

“yeah. but still i’m gonna give up.”

“you shouldn’t, kid. but you do you.”

he goes back to the living room and sits beside steve, who’s half asleep and probably a little bit high.

i go downstairs where our d&d game is set up. i sit down in my normal spot and stare at the table. it never would the same and i had to accept that.

i put my head down and sigh. i had to find a way to push mike away. even the thought of it made me want to cry. honestly, i just wanted to go home. and so i did. i got on my bike and went home, without telling anyone.

honestly this ache in my chest was my fault. i throw my heart under busses just to see what it feels like. i cry myself to sleep and i stay hung up on a boy who will never like me the way i like him. and it feels wrong. i’m too afraid of what he’ll say.

i park my bike and go inside.

my mom is freaking out the moment i step foot in, “will! where have you been, steve called, he’s worried sick!”

“i came home, i’m tired.” i say dryly, closing the door behind me.

she sighs, “you could have just told them, sweetie.”

“i know, but i didn’t want to go back upstairs.” i go to my room and shut the door.

i was done being anxious and scared and precious little will byers. i needed to step up my game and by that i mean i wanted to be like billy. hardened by the trauma.

i wanted to be _bitchin_’.

i go to the phone in the living room and call billy.

he answers, “byers, what’s wrong with you! we thought the mind fucker got you again!”

“language!” i hear steve say in the background.

“i’m sorry, i was tired, but hey can you come over? and bring whatever stuff you use to style your hair.”

“uhh, yeah i guess? can steve come?” he sounds so confused.

“yeah, sure. he knows how to get to my house.” i hang up then go to the kitchen and get a coke from the fridge.

“who’s comin over?” jonathan asks.

“billy and steve.”

“what? why are you hanging out with them?”

“cause they’re cool.”

“they are not, they’re douchebags.” jonathan huffs.

“they are so not. please just be nice and don’t get into a fight with them alright?”

he rolls his eyes, “_fine_.”

i go back to my room and stare at my closet. too much _color_. too many blues and yellows.

i hear steve and billy come in, then jonathan mumbling to them where my room was.

the door to my room opens, “kay, will, you have some explaining to do.” steve scolds me like a concerned parent.

“sit.” i say, looking in my drawers.

him and billy both sit on my bed.

“i’m sick of it. i’m sick of this ‘_oh poor baby will! gotta protect him, he can’t do anything for himself_’. it’s _bullshit_.”

they’re both taken back by my use of a curse word.

“i’m perfectly fine being myself and do things for myself. i can go wherever, whenever.” i finally find a pair of black jeans and toss them on the bed.

billy gets this big stupid grin on his face, “oh i like where this is going.”

“i’m confused.” steve says.

i pull out an old and faded white t shirt with black stripes and el’s leather jacket from chicago.

“ohhh i _reaaally_ like where this is going.”  
billy laughs, “we gotta fix that damn bowl cut.”

i sit down on the bed, “please do.”

“ohhhh wait, you’re going punk?” steve finally catches on.

“yes, shitbird.” billy says, getting his comb and hairspray out from his jacket pocket.

“i’m not a shitbird.” he pouts.

“yes you are.” billy starts doing my hair, brushing it up. “does your mom know about this?”

“no, but she won’t care.”

“your mom is so cool.” steve giggles and takes a sip of his root beer.

“yeah, she is.” billy smiles.

“she loves you, billy, hope you know that.” he sprays some of that god awful smelling farrah fawcett hairspray and plugs in his hair curler.

“i know.” he smiles again and keeps fixing my hair.

after about 30 minutes and a group asthma attack, my hair is finally done. he had curled it like his and ruffled it around to make it look like i just rolled out of bed, in a good way.

“now, another touch.” billy gets a thing of eyeliner out.

“man, you’re gonna look _so_ tubular.” steve grins. “but what’s the real reason you’re changin’?”

i sigh, “mike.”

“oOoOooOoOo.” steve giggles.

i glare at him, “shut up, steve i’ll punch your throat.”

“okaaay okay jeeze, so what, you have a crush on him?”

“i do, but i’m telling myself i don’t. he doesn’t give a shit, and i’m done with it. i want to show him what he’s missing.”

“i love this new will, now close your eyes.” billy says.

he puts the eyeliner on and it feels weird, but cool.

billy sits back, all proud and happy. “you look so badass, now ya just gotta put on the outfit.”

“okay, both of you close your eyes.”

“will doooo.” steve and billy close their eyes as i take off my hideous brightly colored clothes and put the bit too big black jeans and the t-shirt. i put on the jacket then look at myself in the mirror on my door and holy shit.

“you guys can open em.”

i hear them gasp, “holy shit!” i turn around and their jaws are wide open.

“you look so cool! holy shit!” steve looks like such an idiot, grinning and laughing.

“damn. i did a good ass job.” billy smiles, “mike won’t know what hit him.”

i put on my black converse that i had worn to death and fix my hair a little in the mirror.

“i’m not trying to impress him.”

steve squints his eyes at me, “hmm sure you’re not.”

“i’m not.” i snap.

“okay okay, i believe you. now cmon, lets go back to my house, i promised the kids we’d be back soon. i just told them we had to go visit robin to make sure i didn’t need to work a shift.”

“smart thinking, harrington.”

he facepalms, “god you sound like billy.”

“i’m literally right here.” he says, putting on his jacket and grabbing his keys.

i peak out to make sure jonathan wasn’t looking, sure enough there was a note on the kitchen table saying he went to nancy’s.

“good i didn’t want have to deal with him.” i get into the passenger side of billy’s camero.

“heyyy.” steve pouts, “that’s my seat.”

i raise an eyebrow, “says where, king steve?”

he huffs and gets in the backseat, “i don’t like this new will.”

billy laughs and gets in, “i fuckin love it.” he puts his elbow up on the window and i do the same. he puts a cig in his mouth and drives back to steve’s house.

“could i have one? not lit, yknow, just for the effect.” i ask.

“ehh i guess. but give it back, smokes aren’t cheap.” billy hands me an unlit cig and i put it in my mouth, just like he has it.

“this feels badass.”

“i think billy’s a bad influence.” steve says from the backseat.

billy puts in a cassette tape then rolls down the windows and immigrant song by led zeppelin starts blasting through the speakers as billy drives a little too fast down the road.

steve leans up against the back of the drivers seat, takes billy’s cig out of his mouth and puts it in his own.

“you’re gonna distract me, pretty boy.” billy looks back as steve blows out smoke.

“good, that’s my goal.” steve wraps his finger around one of billy’s ringlet curls, “surely you can keep yourself together.”

“hmm possibly.” he opens his mouth and steve puts the cigarette back in billy’s mouth.

“you guys are disgusting. worse than jonathan and nancy.”

“good.” steve says again, a grin still on his face.

we park at steve’s house and i look at myself in the rear view mirror.

i sigh and billy puts his hand on my shoulder,  
“seriously, kid. you look so sick, it’s not even funny. they’re gonna be speechless. walk in there, don’t even react. just act like everything’s normal, sit down at the d&d table like the badass you are.”

i smile, “thanks, billy.”

“anytime, kid.” he gets out with steve instantly clinging to his side.

i put the cig back in my mouth, just like billy does and walk inside.

i hear max shouting at lucas downstairs, “ughh! you’re horrible, we need to call will!”

i smirk to myself, what a perfect moment.

i put my hands in my jacket pockets and walk downstairs to the basement, “no need to.”

they all turn to look at me and their jaws drop to the floor. all the shouting stops.

el grins and breaks the silence, “bitchin.”

i grin back, “yeah, bitchin.” i sit down and they’re all still staring at me.

“so what’s the problem?” i put the cig behind my ear, cause i’ve seen billy do that.

they just keep staring.

“you’re gonna start getting cobwebs if you don’t close your mouths. now, i asked what the problem was, it would be great if someone told me.”

“we’re just um…” max coughs and sits up, “lucas was cheating. like, so cheating. i called him out.”

“alright, well. what was he tryna do?” i ask, leaning back in my chair.

“tryna use a power his guy doesn’t have.” max says, her eyes still on me.

“cmon, lucas. that’s the oldest trick in the book, doesn’t fool anybody.”

he just nods.

“do you guys not speak anymore orrrrr? mind flayer got your tongue?”

“he is so cold, i love it.” i hear billy whisper.

“me too.” steve giggles.

we go back to playing the game but mike’s eyes are staring daggers into me.

he hasn’t spoken a single word.

steve goes upstairs to get the pizza he ordered for us, everyone follows, besides mike.

it’s just us two.

“do you still speak, wheeler?” i ask, messing with my dice.

“yeah.” he says, his voice quiet and almost breathy.

it’s funny cause he’s sitting right next to me, but trying to act like he’s on the other side of the room.

“don’t really seem like it.” i put my arm around the back of his chair.

“just um…tired.” he lies horribly.

i look at him and even though i keep resisting, i can’t. i can’t help how pretty he is. the fact that the moment i see his face, my mind goes to a stupid place and i can hide through my words all i please, but he’ll still have me weak at the knees. dreams can’t compare to him sitting beside me. even if he makes me want to go insane because he’s so clueless, i need him in my life. boyfriend or not. and as much as i hate to admit it, he’s practically my safe place. he makes me feel okay and he makes the nightmares go away.

“you look so hot.” he blurts out, snapping me out of my thoughts.

i blink, “what…?”

“you look hot.” he repeats, his face as red as a tomato. “i like it.”

i just look at him and he looks right back. neither of us moving away or moving closer.

i hear billy whisper from the top of the stairs, “have they kissed yet?”

“no, not yet. they’re just kinda staring at each other. mike said will looked hot, twice.” max whispers.

i scoot a little closer to him and play with his hair, “you’re one hard book to read, wheeler.”

“yeah.” his eyes are interlocked with mine.

he’s moving closer. so am i. we’re inches apart. he tilts his head, he closes his eyes.

and i kiss him. and he kisses back.

i was doing the thing i promised myself i would do, which was fall even harder for mike wheeler and his pretty face.

he’s the one that pulls away, but it’s slow. he sorta does for a moment then leans back in, his kiss deeper than the one seconds before.

when he finally moves his head away enough that our foreheads are touching, i put my hand on his cheek, “you’ve made me cry, mike. i hope you know that. you’ve broken my heart.”

“i know.” he whispers, “and you have no idea how much i wish i could go back in time to fix it.”

his voice cracks a little as he looks at me with tears in his eyes, “oh don’t cry on me, mikey…”

he gently pulls me into my arms, “i won’t. if you don’t.”

“nah. punks don’t cry.”

“alright, sure.” he ruffles my hair.

the rest of the night was spent, sitting just like that in his arms and wondering why i ever even thought of pushing him away.


End file.
